The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a configuration whereby terminal fittings inserted into cavities of a connector housing are retained therein by lances.
As shown in FIG. 10 of this specification, a conventional connector is configured to have cavities 2 provided within a female housing 1. Female terminal fittings 3 are inserted into these cavities 2 and are housed unremovably therein by respective lances 4. Male terminal fittings 6 are inserted into cavities 2 provided within a male housing 5 and are housed unremovably therein by respective lances 4. The corresponding male and female terminal fittings 6 and 3 make contact when the two housings 1 and 5 are fitted together.
The configuration for housing the terminal fittings in the cavities in an unremovable state may be examined in more detail in the female housing 1 shown in FIG. 11. Protrusions 7 are provided on upper faces of the lances 4. These lances 4 have a cantilevered shape, are capable of bending, and are provided in a unified manner with base faces of the cavities 2. The lances 4 are bent while the female terminal fittings 3 are inserted into the cavities 2, these female terminal fittings 3 being inserted to a prescribed position. Then the lances 4 return to their original position and the protrusions 7 fit into base face openings 8 of the female terminal fittings 3, thereby housing them in an unremovable state.
The male housing 5 has the same configuration. Furthermore, a configuration of this type which uses lances to retain terminal fittings is described in JP 3-55674.
In the above example, the cantilevered lances 4 constitutes the retaining configuration. These lances 4 are capable of bending with a base end as their pivot centre. As a result, a prescribed clearance is required between the protrusions 7 of the lances 4 and stopped edges 8A of the openings 8. Consequently there is the problem that if a pushing or pulling force is exerted on electric wires 9, the terminal fittings 3 vibrate in the anterior-posterior direction within the cavities 2, and contacting members of the female and male terminal fittings 3 and 6 repeatedly rub against one another. These contacting members gradually become abraded, and their contacting force decreases. The present invention has taken the above problem into account, and aims to present a connector wherein the terminal fittings are prevented from vibrating within the cavities, thereby preventing rubbing and abrasion of these terminal fittings.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising an electrical connector comprising a housing having a cavity formed therein, an elongate terminal fitting inserted in the cavity in a fitting direction, and a retainer engageable in the housing to retain the fitting in the cavity, characterised in that said retainer includes an abutment engageable with an adjacent end of said fitting for pushing said fitting against said fitting direction, and said retainer further includes a protrusion extending perpendicularly to said fitting direction and engageable with one side of said fitting for pushing said fitting against a side wall of said cavity.
Preferably the housing further includes a resiliently bendable lance for engaging and retaining the terminal in the cavity, said retainer being engageable in a direction opposite to said fitting direction, and for preventing bending of said lance, and said abutment pushing said fitting into contact with said lance.
Preferably the abutment and protrusion are on the same side of the retainer and to one side of an insertion aperture of a corresponding terminal fitting. The retainer is preferably a front retainer adapted in use to be between mating connector housings.
The cavities may include built-up members at the innermost ends in order to grip the adjacent ends of the terminal fittings tightly. This arrangement minimizes vibration of the fittings without substantially increasing insertion resistance.